[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 13 (Tuesday, January 21, 2020)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 3257-3272]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-00876]
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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
34 CFR Chapter I
Updated Guidance on Constitutionally Protected Prayer and
Religious Expression in Public Elementary and Secondary Schools
AGENCY: Office of the General Counsel, Department of Education.
ACTION: Availability of guidance.
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SUMMARY: The Department publishes updated guidance on constitutionally
protected prayer and religious expression in public elementary and
secondary schools, dated January 16, 2020.
DATES: January 21, 2020.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Patrick Shaheen, U.S. Department of
Education, Office of the General Counsel, 400 Maryland Avenue SW, Room
6E300, Washington, DC 20202. Telephone: (202) 453-6339. Email:
[email protected].
If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) or a text
telephone (TTY), call the Federal Relay Service, toll free, at 1-800-
877-8339.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Department publishes updated guidance,
dated January 16, 2020, on constitutionally protected prayer and
religious expression in public elementary and secondary schools. The
purpose of this updated guidance is to provide information on the
current state of the law concerning religious expression in public
schools.
Section 8524(a) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of
1965 (ESEA), as amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act and codified
at 20 U.S.C. 7904(a), requires the Secretary to issue guidance to State
educational agencies (SEAs), local educational agencies (LEAs), and the
public on constitutionally protected prayer in public elementary and
secondary schools. In addition, section 8524(b) requires that, as a
condition of receiving ESEA funds, an LEA must certify in writing to
its SEA that it has no policy that prevents, or otherwise denies
participation in, constitutionally protected prayer in public schools
as detailed in this updated guidance.
The updated guidance is in Appendix A of this document.
Accessible Format: Individuals with disabilities can obtain this
document in an accessible format (e.g., braille, large print,
audiotape, or compact disc) on request to the person listed under FOR
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.
Electronic Access to This Document: The official version of this
document is the document published in the Federal Register. You may
access the official edition of the Federal Register at www.govinfo.gov.
At this site you can view this document, as well as all other documents
of this Department published in the Federal Register, in text or
Portable Document Format (PDF). To use PDF, you must have Adobe Acrobat
Reader, which is available free at the site.
You may also access documents of the Department published in the
Federal Register by using the article search feature at
www.federalregister.gov. Specifically, through the advanced search
feature at this site, you can limit your search to documents published
by the Department.
Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 7904.
Dated: January 15, 2020.
Reed D. Rubinstein,
Principal Deputy General Counsel, delegated the Duties and Authority of
the General Counsel.
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[FR Doc. 2020-00876 Filed 1-16-20; 8:45 am]
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